Russia vs USA for Bellator welterweight final

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Russian talent continues to shine in Bellator FC.

The weekendâs Bellator FC event saw Andrey Koreshkov take the biggest win of his career with a first-round stoppage of DREAM welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis in the semi-finals of the ongoing Bellator welterweight grand prix tournament.

In so doing he continued a Bellator tradition of showcasing top talent from the land formerly sealed off behind an iron curtain. Koreshkov follows in the footsteps of his countrymen such as Alexander Shlemenko and Vyacheslav Vasilevsky in making Bellator FC the scene of a modern Russian breakout.

It wasnât good news for Zaromskis though. The Lithuanian was flattened with a left hand and then took eleven completely unnecessary shots before Greg Franklin realised Zaromskis probably wasnât going to come back from unconsciousness and win the fight.

You can watch the full bout here. Koreshkov is a seriously good striker and a legitimate prospect:

In the Bellator welterweight tournament final he will face Lyman Good, who was also in action at Bellator 78. Good, of the USA, took out Mikahil Tsarev. A team mate of Koreshkovâs, Tsarev maintained that he was poked in the eye by good in the first round but was denied a break. Good then overwhelmed him and took him out to book a place in the final.

Also standing out on the Bellator 78 card was Brian âThe Predatorâ Rogers, who took a unanimous decision over the outclassed Dominique Steele. Rogers came close to a finish in the final frame but Steele, who was also outsized, was made of stern stuff and gamely held on.

âIf it's a tournament fight, I'm getting the finish,â Rogers said afterwards as he announced his intent to get into the next middleweight tournament.

âEveryone knows who the most exciting fighter in the middleweight division is, and it's me. And now I'm becoming the most consistent. I'm a nightmare for you guys out there.â